Mobile’s Excelsior Band marching during Mardi Gras festivities

Al fresco dining at Bottega in Birmingham

Alabama's beauty, history, culture and adventure

The famed "Sweet Home Alabama" you may have heard is more than a song. This is a land of history, culture, music and adventure from beaches to mountains. Music legends Nat King Cole, W.C. Handy and Hank Williams were born in Alabama, and artists including Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones came to Alabama to cement their careers. Here, Gospel is sung in churches and folks dance, while Blues, Country and Jazz set the mood in local bars. Locally owned restaurants dish up meals of mouth-watering barbecue and fresh seafood from Alabama’s fishing villages, and museums cover everything from Civil Rights and music history to fast cars and faster spacecraft.

Alabama Tourism Department Statewide Road Trip

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Rich Southern History

It was in the river city of Montgomery, under the white dome of the State Capitol, where the breakaway Confederate States of America were born, leading to the U.S. Civil War. Alabama is also famous for its role in the struggle for equality between black and white Americans. It’s here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached, marched and changed history. In Montgomery, Rosa Parks challenged segregation by refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man.

One-of-a-Kind Attractions

Alabama is filled with unique destinations that will thrill the whole family. Tour grand, columned antebellum homes located across the state. Visit space and motor sports museums for a visceral thrill. Head to Phenix City for exciting whitewater rafting. Scenic mountains and waterfalls are found in Mentone, Fort Payne and Gadsden.

Alabama’s top museums include the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum and the legendary studios of Muscle Shoals, where famous musicians have recorded since 1959.

Great Food, White Sand, Mardi Gras and More

Alabama is one of the greatest food destinations in the USA. Here, you can sample slow-cooked Southern dishes, elegant fine dining and fresh Gulf of Mexico seafood.

The southern tip of Alabama is best known for Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast beaches. Mobile is where Mardi Gras got its start in the USA. During Carnival season, downtown streets are filled with marching bands and brilliantly colored floats.

Along with white-sand beaches, Alabama offers state parks crossed with trails to explore. Each resort town has a large variety of restaurants, bars and nightlife. Play your way through 26 golf courses and 468 holes across the state, including world-class golf on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Alabama is the physical heart and the cultural soul of the Deep South. Montgomery and Birmingham are a 2.5-hour drive from Atlanta, while Mobile and the beaches of Gulf Shores are about the same distance from New Orleans. The Alabama cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals and Huntsville are only a few hours’ drive from Nashville.

Alabama Tourism Department Statewide Road Trip

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Fun Fact

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The state nut is the pecan – be sure to try a slice of succulent pie.

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Alabama Shakes is a Grammy-winning blues rock band based in Athens, Alabama.

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In the 1960s and ’70s, artists including Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones came to record in Muscle Shoals, then called the “Hit Capital of the World.”

Must see places

Barber Vintage Motorsports Park & Museum

The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum features more than 1,200 vintage and modern motorcycles and racing cars, dating back to 1904. Outside, the impressive 3.7-kilometer road course hosts Indy Grand Prix and motorcycle races.

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Martin Luther King Jr.’s Montgomery

See where Martin Luther King Jr. made history. Walk across the bridge where the Selma-to-Montgomery march began. See King’s home in Montgomery and the jail cell where he wrote “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

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U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Set in Huntsville, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center is a museum showcasing rockets, achievements and artifacts of the U.S. space program. See exhibits about the International Space Station and attend U.S. Space Camp.

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Gulf State Park

Stretch out on this park’s 3-kilometer dazzling white-sand beach near the beach communities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, or have some fun elsewhere. The park is bustling with things to do, from golf and tennis to hiking and zip lining.

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Moundville Archaeological Park

Located near Tuscaloosa, Moundville Archaeological Park contains a museum and an archaeological laboratory. Many consider the Moundville Duck Bowl, unearthed here, to be the most beautiful prehistoric artifact ever discovered in the United States.

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Mobile-Tensaw Delta

During wildlife tours in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, search at night for ever-present alligators or enjoy the sunset from a kayak tour. Harbor tours include dolphin watching and views of historical landmarks and cargo ships in the working port.